1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an alarm system and, more specifically, to a non-intrusive ammonia flow alarm system which will signal when ammonia gas is flowing through a designated pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ammonia is a hazardous material which is normally a gas at room temperature and pressure. Ammonia is often transported in pipes in a liquid phase. Ammonia is generally transported from a gas cylinder through one or more pipes to a desired location. The ammonia is maintained in a liquid form by virtue of the pumping pressure. The ammonia gas may be used in a variety of different applications. For example, the ammonia gas may be used in the production of fertilizer, in a refrigeration process, and the like.
On certain size ammonia canisters, a release valve is required. The release valve is necessary to relieve pressure from the ammonia canister. The release valve is generally coupled to a pipeline and further to a diffusion tank which will capture the released ammonia gas.
When the ammonia gas is released through the released valve, it generally indicates that there is a problem with the ammonia cannister or the release valve. Thus, one needs to check the ammonia cannister and the release valve to see if there is a potential problem. For example, the release valve may have malfunctioned and is leaking ammonia. Unfortunately, most ammonia sensors are extremely expensive to install. Furthermore, these sensors generally have to be installed when the ammonia system is being constructed. Present ammonia sensors cannot easily be retrofitted onto an existing system due to the invasive nature of the retrofit.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved ammonia flow detection system. The improved ammonia flow detection system must overcome the problems associated with prior art systems. The improved ammonia flow detection system must be inexpensive and easy to install. The improved ammonia flow detection system must further be able to be retrofitted onto existing systems preferably in a non-invasive way.